By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Justice Hannah Bonnie at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) court in Freetown has on 22nd July, 2021 granted bail to Alimamy Kamara, a former Minister of Youth Affairs, under the administration of President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Kamara is facing trial after the anti-graft agency indicted him on 9 counts of corruption offences. According to the ACC, the former minister failed to declare his assets, income and liabilities contrary to section 122(a) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act No. 9 of 2019 while he was serving as a public servant.
Kamara also served as a Member of Parliament and Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The ACC investigated him in all his offices from 2008 to 2018 and claimed that he failed to declare his assets, income and liabilities. Kamara pleaded innocent of all counts charges in court.
Umar Sesay, lawyer for the ACC, applied in court that the matter be tried by judge alone rather than by judge and jury. He made this application pursuant to Section 144(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 32 of 1965 as repealed and replaced by Section 3 of the Criminal Procedure Act No. 11, of 1981. He also referred the court to a certificate signed by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Anthony Brewah on the 14th July 2021 in order for the matter to be tried speedily.
However, Sesay, pleaded with the judge for an adjourned date for the matter because of lack of ACC witnesses to testify against the former minister in court. He said that the ACC investigators are in Makeni.
Counsel for the former minister, Africanus Sesay agreed for the trial to be done by judge alone and also applied for bail for his client citing that the former minister is a resident in Sierra Leone with family in the country and a businessman who is willing to attend all subsequent trials of the said matter. He also added that the accused has reliable sureties that are willing and able to stand for him if bail is granted. He canvassed the judge’s discretion on section 79(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 1965 and Bail Regulations of 2019.
Justice Bonnie, after the State council refused to object bail, granted bail to Koroma and adjourned the matter for Monday, 26th July, 2021.
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